Cigarette packs are currently displayed and sold in stores such as so-called convenience stores. The “cigarette pack” mentioned here does not mean a cigarette which is actually smoked, but means a rectangular solid package which accommodates a plurality of cigarettes.
The cigarette display system for displaying cigarette packs includes a plurality of magazine units and a system frame, for example. The magazine unit is formed in the shape of a box which is elongated in a direction from front to back and has an opened top, using a colorless, transparent resin, for example.
The magazine unit can then accommodate upright cigarette packs arranged in the direction from front to back, which are provided from above. A slider member is attached to the magazine unit on its bottom surface so as to be slidable in a direction from front to back.
More specifically, at the bottom of the magazine unit, an elongated opening is formed in a direction from front to back. Upward-protruded ribs are formed on both left and right sides of the opening. And, the slider member is attached to the pair of ribs and the opening so as to be slidable in a direction from front to back.
And, a wound plate spring to serve as an urging mechanism is attached at a rear of the slider member. One end of the plate spring is pulled out from the slider member and attached to a front bottom part of the magazine unit.
Accordingly, a slider member, which is slidable in a direction from front to back, is resiliently urged by the plate spring. Therefore, a plurality of cigarette packs accommodated in the magazine unit is pushed to a forefront by the slider member.
The system frame holds a plurality of magazine units arranged in the vertical and lateral directions. The system frame includes a plurality of guide rails and a single main frame. A pair of guide rails holds both sides of the magazine unit. The main frame is formed by, for example, metal bars in a solid shape. The plurality of guide rails is fixed in pairs to key points of the main frame.
In the cigarette display system as mentioned above, for example, 20 magazine units are mounted in the system frame in an array of 4 rows and 5 columns. For example, 10 cigarette packs are accommodated in each of the magazine units.
The cigarette packs are formed in a rectangular solid shape having surfaces of different sizes, and a brand name and the like are printed on its largest surface as its representative surface. In such cigarette display system, since cigarette packs are accommodated in colorless, transparent magazine units while the cigarette packs are in an upright state, the cigarette packs are displayed while their representative surfaces facing the front. Therefore, the cigarette display system can display, for example, 20 types of cigarette packs, while accommodating 10 packs for each type.
When selling a cigarette pack, the cigarette pack is pulled out upward from the forefront part of the magazine unit and remaining cigarette packs accommodated in the magazine unit are pushed to the front by the slider member. Thereby, the magazine unit may keep the state of displaying the cigarette packs at the forefront position, even after one cigarette pack is pulled out.
When replenishing cigarette packs in the cigarette display system, a magazine unit is detached from the system frame. Cigarette packs are accommodated in the magazine unit, and the magazine unit having the cigarette packs accommodated therein is mounted in the system frame. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform a troublesome operation for replenishing cigarette packs in a magazine unit fixed in the system frame.
In a cigarette display system as mentioned above, it is possible to wash and clean a magazine unit, by detaching the magazine unit from the system frame, for example.    [Patent Document 1]    Japanese Laid-open patent publication NO. 10-151047